I don’t see that anyone has critiqued the monitor diffusion sheets. Just a critique of the Pringle can diffuser, or that the size of the camera + diffuser may scare some insects (which hasn’t been my experience as some insects scare away whether I have a diffuser on or not).
2 Likes
As Russell said, we were commenting on the Pringle Can diffuser. Your idea is very interesting and seems to work well!
2 Likes
Okay…my apologies. 
I do not see where there is reply direct to the person that posted that. 
Thanks
Thanks
I cobbled together another very crude “prototype” diy diffuser using the LCD sheets…This is my current setup combined with the Laowa 100mm 2X Macro lens and a Canon 430EX flash.
This setup is a little large if there is vegetation nearby but i still have managed to get into some tight places with it because it will flex. I will trim down the size some the more that I tinker with it. For now trying to get the diffusion the way I like before any trimming, etc.
Hope there is something useful in all this, for those interested.
Example photos
4 Likes
When I was testing mine, I used a deceased shiny beetle as my subject so that I had a consistent (identical) scene allowing direct comparison of pics taken using different models, designs, and sizes of diffuser. From there, you have to weigh the tradeoffs between perfect diffusion and practicality in the field–which then becomes a personal choice.
2 Likes
For photography in the field, I am going compact:
I have a MFT Olympus + 60mm Macro that just fits in my photo bag (+ an additional zoom objective), without space for a large, unflexible diffusor.
Also, I do not have an external flash.
This is my solution:
I cut an opening in a sheet of paper and folded it once in the middle. Then I laminated the sheet for stability and protection against rain.
Wrapping it around the objective, it can then be fixed with a clip. The fold allows for good storage, it fits in a jacket pocket.
Right now, I made diffusors out of two different paper strengths, but will need to check whether this makes a noticeable difference
2 Likes
What a great idea. Man, there are so many old screens in the waste bin these days, it’s nice to be able to lighten that waste a little. Thanks for the tip and happy shooting.
1 Like
I use a white plastic grocery bag on my flash when I want to diffuse the light. Works perfect and I don’t care if I ruin it, and it doubles as a dog poo pickup bag to carry a few with me xD Walmart bags at least here are white and work well
If you have a spotty LED headlamp and want it more diffuse, get some satin scotch tape and put it on the lens. You know, not the crystal clear kind, the textured cloudy looking kind. Works perfect, and perfectly reversable if you want the spotty headlamp back ever.
3 Likes
Have you looked at my iNat OB’s…I get all sorts of insects, etc… and all of my photos, with the exception of a very small amount are taken in field, one shot, no stacks. I’ve been doing macro photography for around 20 years now and have a number of first species for a couple states on Bugguide and iNat. My citizen science efforts and photos have been published in research papers and print data.
Some insects are more shy than others, this is true…But a slow approach and movement pays off, no matter the size of the “contraption”.
I saw them! Very nice. I too found some inat firsters. Some of them with a decent macro picture as well. I put them as my favorite taxa, by the way, so they are displayed under my profile.
I mentioned the spooky element because I lost a handful of observations when trying a closer macro shot so “it would look prettier”. When I was starting I learned the hard way how to approach each kind of insect like some people here mentioned. It didn’t occur to me that we’d have to be very close to them for the nice pictures, so it is always good to mention this whenever someone is talking about macro techniques.
Hah! I thought I was the only one using insect corpse calibraters. I keep mine in a matchbox and it’s actually a locust exoskeleton skin molt. But just last week I added a dead dog tick to the setup (more color and better size challeng).
I felt a little bad about the tick, but I had visited a friend with two dogs and later that night my wife called out to me that there was something crawling up the bathroom wall, by the clothes hamper.
I kept him in a little see-through case for a few days, and despite my appreciation level of wee wonders, I could not justify releasing him again.
So I ethanized him with a freezer visit and decided to use him in helping me with my efforts to be part of something that might help others of his… scale.
2 Likes
Very impressive!
Whenever I see such detailed clarity in a macro shot it always makes me wonder about the times when science almost universally described organisms at this scale as ‘simple’.
2 Likes
Spectacular! Sadly, I discarded a monitor a few weeks before you posted this.
Need some side-by-sides without and without the diffuser so folks can see difference.
1 Like
I’m gonna try doing this this week…
1 Like
Yes…It would be nice to have side by side, but as you know, shooting insects in the wild is not easy and a lot of times we are lucky to get one or two shots…
The specimen surely will not be still for the time it takes us to remove the flash diffuser and get settings in range again… 
… 
I can tell you from experience, the photo with bare flash produces hard shadows and blown highlights…Not a soft even light as the diffused flash produces. 
Have a look at my journal post on page 4 of the pdf file there and there is a side by side comparision.
https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/t7iguy/65008-diffusion-for-macro-flash-photography
I have 2 red TG-6 cameras, went with red because it looks more pedestrian, or to use the current parlance, “basic”… than something more sleek like the black model.
Poachers, polluters and the d-bags we catch don’t look twice when were in shooting in public. minimizing security-related complications when I’m traveling is paramount for me these days, also if I have to freedive to the bottom of a reef to retrieve a camera, I’d rather be looking for something blood red, than just another black box that will blend into the algae.
To answer your question, we haven’t experienced a “spook” factor with the red bodies, and my partner regularly utilizes her camera for insects and other small creatures, I bet proximity to the creature in general has is more startling if anything than color, maybe I’m wrong…
1 Like
Yes - very much - thank you! I also use the Laowa 2X macro as my primary lens with a 2 head flash (Yongnuo - that I do NOT recommend). I mostly shoot Salticids, who’s eyes are the true acid test for decent diffusion. While I’m currently happy with the diffusion, I’m not pleased with the power it takes to get through the multiple layers of material (nor the robustness of the diffusing material).
I happen to have an LCD monitor which recently failed and will soon be purchasing a new flash setup. Sounds like a good time to re-invent my diffuser will soon be here.
Here’s an example of current diffuser (w/ P. cardinalis model):
2 Likes